Lenovo writes $100 million check for mobile patents

No strings attached

PC maker Lenovo is making more investments in the mobile world which coincide with its planned purchase of Motorola from Google.

Cnet is reporting that the maker of the Thinkpad has reached a deal to acquire 21 patent families related to 3G, 4G, and other mobile technologies.

Lenovo agreed to buy Motorola for $2.9 billion in January and has now reached a deal to purchase 21 patent families owned by Unwired Planet for $100 million in cash.

Those patents are for important 3G and LTE mobile technology, as well as "other important mobility patents," said Lenovo General Counsel Jay Clemens, in a statement. The patents will be important as the company grows and develops worldwide smartphone and mobile PC Plus business in new markets, he also said.

Insurance policy

It will help Lenovo see off patent trolling attacks from other technology companies and IP literation firms that have caused problems for the mobile market.

Since the lawsuit between Apple and Samsung, companies are doing all they can to prevent similar suits.

Unwired Planet has accused Apple and Google of patent infringement in the past so it might be that Motorola wants its paws on those patents in case one of those two companies goes for it.